Gavaskar slams Virat Kohli over on-field act in Pak-India clash

Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has criticised star batter Virat Kohli over his on-field act during the IND vs PAK game at the Champions Trophy 2025.

Kohli was in supreme touch in the high-intensity game which had also become a must-win game for Pakistan after they lost to New Zealand in the opening game of the ongoing tournament.

Chasing a modest 242-run target, Virat Kohli scored his maiden Champions Trophy century in the IND vs PAK game a day earlier in Dubai.

While several lauded the former India captain for his match-winning knock, an incident caught the attention of cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar during the proceedings of the Champions Trophy 2025 game.

Taking notice of an instance where Virat Kohli blocked the throw of a fielder, Gavaskar blasted the India batter, saying that he obstructed the field.

The former India cricketer was of the view that India could have got a couple of runs as no backup fielder was positioned to catch the ball.

“Nobody is backing up. The fielder at the midwicket would have had to dive, but there was no need for him to interfere with the progress of the ball. He (Virat Kohli) is lucky nobody has appealed,” Gavaskar said.

Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja also questioned the India batter’s on-field act during the IND vs PAK game by sharing a humorous remark.

“And here I was, raving about his game-awareness,” he said.

Pertinent to note here that Pakistan have potentially been knocked out of the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 after losing their first two games to New Zealand and India.

India, on the other hand, won both their first two games and are set to face New Zealand on March 2 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Sitting at the bottom of Group A, Pakistan’s first hope for a semi-final place lies in Bangladesh defeating New Zealand on February 24, followed by the Green Shirts securing a comprehensive victory over Bangladesh on February 27 to improve their net run rate and earn crucial points.

Subsequently, Pakistan will hope that India defeats New Zealand, ensuring the Black Caps remain on two points with an inferior net run rate.